MARKET PULSE-Ford, Starwood, Biogen, Corelogic, Infinera, Fusion-io

(For more market insights, including options activity, click on STXNEWS/US; for the day ahead newsletter, link.reuters.com/mex49s)

FUTURES GAIN ON CHINA OPTIMISM; DATA, EARNINGS IN FOCUS

Index futures rose, indicating the S&P 500 may rebound from its worst five-day slide in five months, on optimism China’s economy may be recovering and ahead of a flurry of economic data and corporate earnings.

The world’s biggest fertilizer maker reported a 22 percent drop in third-quarter earnings on Thursday, just below analysts’ expectations, as sales of the crop nutrient potash to China and India slipped, the company said.

** PROCTER & GAMBLE CO, Wednesday close $68.08, up 0.8 pct premarket

Procter & Gamble’s profit excluding items rose more than expected and the world’s largest household products maker maintained a key forecast for the year, which indicated it is making progress after coming under pressure from activist investor William Ackman.

** COLGATE-PALMOLIVE CO, Wednesday close $106.56

The toothpaste maker unveiled a cost-cutting plan that included cutting its workforce by the end of 2016 by about 6 percent.

At least three brokerages cut their price targets on the stock. “The Dec-qtr guide was disappointing as it represented the first quarter in which Fusion-io did not raise expectations,” RBC Capital Markets analyst Amit Daryanani said.

** HERSHEY CO, Wednesday close $70.12

Hershey reported a slightly higher-than-expected quarterly profit and raised its full-year outlook, citing the benefit of an acquisition and commodity costs that should not be as high as anticipated.

** BIOGEN IDEC INC, Wednesday close $142.06, up 2 pct premarket

The biotechnology company reported a much higher-than-expected quarterly profit on increased sales of its drugs for multiple sclerosis and cancer, and raised its full-year earnings forecast.

Starwood, whose brands include Sheraton and Westin, posted a better-than-expected quarterly profit on higher room rates and occupancy, and the company raised its forecast for the full year.

** BEST BUY CO INC, Wednesday close $16.92, down 5 pct premarket

The retailer warned that earnings and same-store sales would fall for its third quarter, and said the head of its U.S. business will leave as the world’s largest consumer electronics chain starts to restructure under a new CEO.

** F5 NETWORKS INC, Wednesday close $93.32, down 11 pct premarket

The network gear maker forecast a weak first-quarter as its large U.S. enterprise and telecoms customers reduced spending.

** SYMANTEC CORP, Wednesday close $17.38, up 10.4 pct premarket

Symantec reported results ahead of Wall Street expectations as its new chief executive took direct control its sales force as part of an effort to turn around the maker of security software.

** SPRINT NEXTEL CORP, Wednesday close $5.62, up 1.4 pct premarket

The company posted a wider loss in the third quarter as it spent heavily on a network upgrade and lost customers from its iDen network, which it is shutting down.

** RYLAND GROUP INC, Wednesday close $32.79, up 3.3 pct premarket

The home builder reported better-than-expected third quarter results, helped by a jump in homebuilding revenue as new orders rose more than 55 percent during the period.

** SUPERVALU INC, Wednesday close $2.92, up 2.7 pct premarket

Buyout firm Cerberus Capital Management is preparing a takeover bid for the third-largest U.S. supermarket chain with an eye toward divesting the troubled company’s assets to several parties only interested in pieces, according to people familiar with the matter.

The company which makes remote access software, reported third-quarter profit above analysts estimates, helped by a rise in subscription revenue and forecast marginally better-than-expected results for the current-quarter.

** MYLAN INC, Wednesday close $23.94, up 0.7 pct

Mylan’s quarterly profit rose 35 percent, driven by a rise in sales of EpiPen, its anti-allergen delivery product, and its generic drugs in North America, and the drugmaker raised its adjusted earnings forecast for 2012.

The agribusiness firm reported weaker-than-expected third-quarter results, hurt by drought and other adverse weather conditions that have reduced global harvests.

** INFINERA CORP Wednesday close $4.70, up 9.6 pct post-market

The company, which makes chips used in telecom networks, reported a smaller-than-expected third-quarter loss, helped by new customers and higher demand for its products.

** SKECHERS USA INC, Wednesday $16.61, up 6 pct post-market

The company, which designs and sells shoes of its namesake brand, reported its first profit in four quarters on Wednesday, as it benefited from tighter inventory control and gave an upbeat outlook on strong sales across all operating segments.

The medical device maker said it received a Form 483 notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about its manufacturing plant in Sylmar, California, where it makes cardiac rhythm management products.

** HESS CORP, Wednesday close $52.53

The company said it agreed to sell its interest in the Beryl area fields in the North Sea and the Scottish Area Gas Evacuation System to Royal Dutch Shell for $525 million.

** AETNA INC, Wednesday close $43.95

The third-largest U.S. health insurer reported a higher quarterly profit that beat expectations, saying it had reached its 2012 goal of 18.2 million members ahead of schedule and kept costs down.

** NEXEN INC , Wednesday close $23.76

Canadian oil and gas producer said it still expects a $15.1 billion takeover bid by China’s CNOOC Ltd to close in the current quarter.

** GENERAL MOTORS CO, Wednesday close $23.69

General Motors plans to have talks to buy a stake in its South Korean unit from the unit’s second-biggest shareholder, Korea Development Bank(KDB), the head of GM Korea said on Thursday.

** CARLYLE GROUP LP, Wednesday close $25.73

The U.S. private-equity firm has signed its first ever investment in Southeast Asia, with a deal to buy a stake of around 25 percent in a publicly traded Indonesian telecom towers operator for about $100 million, sources with knowledge of the deal said.

** MEDTRONIC INC, Wednesday close $41.69

The medical device maker edited health journal articles and paid physicians for company-sponsored studies of its Infuse bone graft product used in spinal surgery, a U.S. Senate Committee alleged in a report published on Thursday.

** ASM INTERNATIONAL N.V. , Wednesday close $32.20

The Dutch chip equipment maker reported a 94 percent fall in profit for the third quarter, weighed down by a 79 percent fall in operating profit.

** MORNINGSTAR INC, Wednesday close $62.54

The company’s third-quarter profit rose 27 percent as the investment research firm kept a lid on operating costs, mainly by setting aside less money for bonuses.

** NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO INC, Wednesday close

The largest U.S. oilfield equipment maker reported a 15 percent rise in quarterly profit as the demand for new offshore drilling equipment rose.

** CONSOL ENERGY INC, Wednesday close $34.63

The coal and natural gas producer reported a third-quarter loss on a fall in production after it was forced to idle several mines due to weak coal prices. (Compiled by Ranjita Ganesan in Bangalore)